[7.6/10] It’s nice to have Lex Luthor back in the fold! Clancy Brown’s take on the character is indellbile for folks who came of age when I did, so it’s good to see him return to the DCAU even as it expands its reach. I also really like what they do with him. The opening fake out with Superman using the League to finally expose Luthor as a corrupt villain rather than just a benevolent businessman is a good hook. But even better is the reveal that he is not only terminally ill, but that it’s a result of him carrying around kryptonite for so long, an ironic end for him considering all his skirmishes with Superman.
Likewise, it’s nice to see the introduction of a villainous counterpart to the Justice League. I’ll admit, I don’t know most of the characters beyond this show, and they barely get any introduction. Solomon Grundy’s popped in a few other things, and Cheetah’s set to be the baddie in the new Wonder Woman movie, but otherwise these guys are largely mysteries to me. That’s fine -- hopefully they’ll get developed more later -- but the very existence of a bad guy contingent makes them interesting foils for our heroes.
The one character who does get a little more shading is the Ultrahumanite. He’s got a fun Frasier-y quality (come to think of it, is he a villainous equivalent to Beast from the X-Men?), and his dynamic with Luthor is particularly good and low-key combative. I like the fact that Humanite recognizes Lex as a meal ticket, as do most of the villains, without any affection or teamwork between them, as befits a group of baddies.
Of course, you can’t have a bad guy party without the Joker, and as in the “World’s Finest” crossover, it’s hilarious to see him play the funny man to Lex’s straight man, and the barely restrained resentment from the billionaire to the Clown Prince of Crime. Joker proves his worth immediately, explaining that he “knows how The Bat” thinks and picking up a tracking device, before orchestrating Batman’s capture.
That too lends itself to an interesting dynamic here. I like the throughline for Batman as implicitly trying to prove himself and keep fighting despite taking on heavy damage given that he’s the one guy in the League without special powers. That makes him especially apt to push and uniquely vulnerable, so I like him as the fulcrum to this story.
Likewise, while the action could get a bit static in places, I enjoyed the mix-and-match vibe of the first scuffle between the League and the Injustice Gang. THere’s some creative use of the different powers, and I like the ruse that kicks it off.
Overall, this is a nice way to introduce the Justice League’s villainous counterparts, and it establishes a neat and personal challenge for Batman as well.
Shout by Caleb PetersBlockedParent2023-09-07T06:02:56Z
A solid start to a story focused on Superman.
J'onn doesn't do much here, but it's still nice to have him around. You don't really see him in modern adaptations of DC properties.